Professor Green has just finished the Blackberry Live and Lost tour and isn’t very well at the moment; he has been stuck down with the sore throat illness that seems to be getting everybody at this time of year. When asked how he is doing rather than moan the Hackney rapper – born Stephen Manderson - simply states: “Yeah it’s not ideal but life must go on.” Considering he nearly died last year after being stabbed in the neck, a sore throat must seem wholly insignificant.
How was the Live and Lost tour?
Strange, I have looked after myself since my mid teens and I have been responsible for myself for an awful long time. To have that taken away from me and to be dependant on others, on people I don’t know was quite odd, I don’t even like asking people I know for things. It was strange but before doing that tour I wasn’t in a good place, I was stressed and there was a lot going round my head. Weirdly, not that it would ever be the type of holiday I would pay to go on, but it almost was like a holiday. I didn’t have the time to think about work or any other stresses, it was just about what I was doing so it actually helped me quite a lot. I met some people that I still keep in touch with now.
It’s been a successful couple of years for you, with ups and downs, what’s been the best moment?
There have been loads; the two last shows I did with Lilly Allen. One where she was supporting Muse at Wembley Stadium and the other was when she came out during my last show at Coco. A lot of this started because of her, when she jumped on the ‘Just be good to green’ track and she took me on tour with her. If you look old footage and the progression in the performance from then till now and peoples awareness of me as well, they were definite high moments. The album going in at number 2 the first single going in at number 3. The festivals I did, all of them; it’s been a really cool time this year.
